Extended red emission: observational constraints for models

Witt, A. N.; Lai, Thomas

doi:10.1007/s10509-020-03766-w

“…Gordon et al (1998, hereafter G98); Szomoru & Guhathakurta (1998, hereafter SG98)). The carrier responsible is unknown; see Witt & Lai (2020) for a recent review of constraints on ERE Observations of a variety of objects and environments enable comparisons that can help identify the ERE carrier.…”

Section: Dust Models and Systematicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first measurements of ERE were made in reflection nebulae, and due to similarities in dust properties, it was predicted that ERE would also be found in the diffuse ISM of the Milky Way (Witt & Lai 2020). Since then there have been several detections.…”

Section: Dust Models and Systematicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Optical Spectrum of the Diffuse Galactic Light from BOSS and IRIS

Chellew,

Brandt,

Hensley

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We present a spectrum of the diffuse Galactic light (DGL) between 3700 and 10,000 Å, obtained by correlating optical sky intensity with far-infrared dust emission. We use nearly 250,000 blank-sky spectra from BOSS/SDSS-III together with IRIS-reprocessed maps from the IRAS satellite. The larger sample size compared to SDSS-II results in a factor-of-two increase in signal to noise. We combine these data sets with a model for the optical/far-infrared correlation that accounts for self-absorption by dust. The spectral features of the DGL agree remarkably well with features present in stellar spectra. There is evidence for a difference in the DGL continuum between the regions covered by BOSS in the northern and southern Galactic hemisphere. We interpret the difference at red wavelengths as the result of a difference in stellar populations, with mainly old stars in both regions but a higher fraction of young stars in the south. There is also a broad excess in the southern DGL spectrum over the prediction of a simple radiative transfer model, without a clear counterpart in the north. We interpret this excess, centered at ∼6500 Å, as evidence for luminescence in the form of extended red emission (ERE). The observed strength of the 4000 Å break indicates that at most ∼7% of the dust-correlated light at 4000 Å can be due to blue luminescence. Our DGL spectrum provides constraints on dust scattering and luminescence independent of measurements of extinction.

show abstract

“…In this topical collection, the recent developments in our understanding of the ERE and the 21/30 µm features are reviewed by Witt and Lai (2020), and Volk et al ( 2020) respectively. The possible ERE-DIB connection is also discussed by Witt and Lai (2020). The scenario of coal and petroleum related compounds as carriers of UIE is discussed by Cataldo et al (2020).…”

Section: Future Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unexplained spectral phenomena in the interstellar medium: an introduction

Kwok

¹

2021

Astrophys Space Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There exists a number of astronomical spectral phenomena that have remained unidentified after decades of extensive observations. The diffuse interstellar bands, the 220 nm feature, unidentified infrared emission bands, extended red emissions, and 21 and 30 µm emission features are seen in a wide variety of astrophysical environments. The strengths of these features suggest that they originate from chemical compounds made of common elements, possibly organic in nature. The quest to understand how such organic materials are synthesized and distributed across the Galaxy represents a major challenge to our understanding of the chemical content of the Universe.

show abstract

“…In this topical collection, the recent developments in our understanding of the ERE and the 21/30 µm features are reviewed by Witt andLai (2020), andVolk, Sloan, andKraemer (2020) respectively. The possible ERE-DIB connection is also discussed by Witt and Lai (2020).…”

Section: Future Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this topical collection, the recent developments in our understanding of the ERE and the 21/30 µm features are reviewed by Witt andLai (2020), andVolk, Sloan, andKraemer (2020) respectively. The possible ERE-DIB connection is also discussed by Witt and Lai (2020). The scenario of coal and petroleum related compounds as carriers of UIE is discussed by Cataldo, García-Hernández and Manchado (2020).…”

Section: Future Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unexplained Spectral Phenomena in the Interstellar Medium: an introduction

Kwok

2021

Preprint

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There exists a number of astronomical spectral phenomena that have remained unidentified after decades of extensive observations. The diffuse interstellar bands, the 220 nm feature, unidentified infrared emission bands, extended red emissions, and 21 and 30 µm emission features are seen in a wide variety of astrophysical environments. The strengths of these features suggest that they originate from chemical compounds made of common elements, possibly organic in nature. The quest to understand how such organic materials are synthesized and distributed across the Galaxy represents a major challenge to our understanding of the chemical content of the Universe.

show abstract

Extended red emission: observational constraints for models

Cited by 22 publications

References 61 publications

An Optical Spectrum of the Diffuse Galactic Light from BOSS and IRIS

An Optical Spectrum of the Diffuse Galactic Light from BOSS and IRIS

Unexplained spectral phenomena in the interstellar medium: an introduction

Unexplained Spectral Phenomena in the Interstellar Medium: an introduction

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About